


Break The Chains

by Wildcard_Rumi



Category: Persona 5, Persona 5 Royal
Genre: M/M, P5R Spoilers, Ren's parents have a palace au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:00:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23945821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wildcard_Rumi/pseuds/Wildcard_Rumi
Summary: After curiosity gets the better of him, Ren discovers that his parents have a Palace and finds himself trapped within it. Now, the Phantom Thieves are tasked with not only changing their hearts but rescuing their leader as well.This is inspired by this really good post I saw on Tumblr: https://akechigucci.tumblr.com/post/189446646149/1-okay-so-i-had-an-idea-and-had-to-share-it
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira
Comments: 32
Kudos: 362





	1. One Small Mistake

**Author's Note:**

> This has been wip for way too long and now chapter one is finally a thing. Don't expect frequent updates and please, for the love of god, don't rush me. I've had way too many anon messages telling me to hurry up and I'm just tired at this point.
> 
> With that said, I hope you enjoy.

Ren frowned down at his phone. What the hell was he thinking? He knew he was going back home soon, so of course his mind kept wandering back to them… but why on earth did he keep wondering this? He had waited until Morgana had gone off on one of his usual walks; he didn't really want to explain his line of thinking. After letting out a loud huff, he went for it and clicked on the Metanav icon.

'What's the worst that could happen?' He figured, telling himself that he was just overthinking things. He took a breath and clicked on the microphone before quietly speaking.

"...Hinata and Yuri Amamiya."

He scoffed dismissively at his own stupidity.

"What the hell am I do-"

"Candidate Found."

Ren's eyes shot wide open at the navigator's words. Did… Did it just say what he thought it said…? He nervously glanced down at the screen.

It displayed the words: 'Candidate Found'.

Ren sat there, staring at the screen in disbelief. He had just randomly pondered the possibility… He didn't expect it to actually be true! Curiosity got the better of him. He had to learn more.

"...Theatre?"

"No candidates found."

"Hospital?"

"No candidates found."

"School?"

"No candidates found."

"......Prison…?"

"No candidates found."

Ren's mind was swarming. His stomach was churning. Why the hell was he doing this? Why did he need to know so desperately? The idea of this terrified him, but for some reason, he couldn't stop. He began thinking of his parents' interests. Could any of them have a connection to a potential palace?

"Garden?"

"No candidates found."

"Library?"

"No candidates found."

A shaky sigh left Ren's mouth. He tapped his chin thoughtfully. They always enjoyed fairy tales… Maybe a type of scenery from one of their favourites?

"Forest?"

"No candidates found."

"Cottage?"

"No candidates found."

"Tower?"

"Candidate Found."

Ren gasped at his progress. Okay, so it was a tower… Now, where the hell would this tower be?

"The Amamiya Residence?"

"No candidates found."

'Of course… It can never be easy…' Ren huffed in irritation as that thought crossed his mind. He scowled as he tried his hardest to think of the place that would be the center of his parents' palace.

'I don't think it would be their workplaces…'

"Hey, Ren."

'I mean, I've never really heard them complain about their work, so it couldn't distort their desires…'

"Ren."

'It couldn't be the whole town, could it?'

"Uh, Ren?"

'Now that I think about it, Kaneshiro's palace covered all of Shibuya… So, it could be possible… Maybe?'

"Earth to Ren Amamiya!" Sojiro's gruff voice shouted up the stairs, causing Ren to flinch.

"Candidate Found."

"Huh?" Those words caused Ren to freeze. It found the location? Where was it? He didn't know why but a strong wave of dread flooded over him. He looked down at his phone for the details. And stopped breathing.

[ **Palace Owner(s)** : Yuri and Hinata Amamiya

 **Distortion** : Tower

 **Location** : Ren Amamiya's Location]

Ren began trembling as he stared at his phone's screen with terror all over his face. The location of his parents' palace was… wherever he was…? He felt sick. His stomach felt as if it was tied in knots. He had an acidic taste in the back of his throat. His body felt cold.

"Hey, I've been calling you." Sojiro muttered in annoyance as he entered the attic.

"H-Huh?" Ren gasped in shock, quickly exiting the Metanav and placing his phone down.

"The café's got a sudden rush of customers and I need your help to serve 'em all." Sojiro informed the teenager.

"O-Oh, right, yeah, I, um, I-I'll help." Ren stuttered, still quite rattled by his discovery. Sojiro frowned worriedly.

"You okay, kid? You seem kinda jumpy…" The bearded man asked as he watched Ren carefully.

"Yeah… Yeah, I'm fine, I just was, uh, lost in thought." Ren hurriedly thought up an excuse. Sojiro's frown grew bigger.

"Were you thinking about that night in the interrogation room again?" He cautiously enquired, not wanting to upset Ren further. Ren's eyes widened.

"Y-Yeah… But, really, I'm fine, no need to worry!" He went along with Sojiro's presumption, being unable to think of another excuse. Ren sprung up from his bed, hoping that working in Leblanc for a while would clear his head. Sojiro stopped him as he tried to squeeze past him. Ren anxiously glanced up at him. Sojiro sighed quietly as he softly tousled Ren's hair.

"I know that kinda stuff doesn't really go away… But, you're safe here, just remember that, okay?" He reassured Ren with a kind smile and an encouraging pat on his shoulder. The raven haired boy stared at Sojiro with a stunned silence. He felt guilty for lying, but to hear Sojiro say that… It really did make him feel safe. It was comforting to know that he was there for him. If only… No. Ren shook his head to get rid of those thoughts.

"Thanks, Sojiro. That really means a lot." He replied, forcing a smile onto his face. He hoped that Sojiro could tell that he was being completely genuine with those words.

"Heh… No problem, kid. Now, c'mon, let's go feed these customers." Sojiro chuckled with a relieved smile before following the boy he couldn't help but think of as a son down the stairs.

Ren collapsed onto his bed with a tired huff. Sojiro wasn't kidding when he said there was a rush of customers… Ren didn't think it would ever end! He yawned loudly as he glanced around for Morgana.

'That's weird… He's usually back by now…' Thought the teenager as he scanned the room for his cat friend. After a while, he picked up his phone and discovered some texts from Futaba.

[ _15:55PM_

 **Futaba** : Hypothesis - Morgana is cat. Cats love laser pointers. Therefore, Morgana will love laser pointers.

 **Futaba** : Testing hypothesis now.

 **Futaba** : TSJDTJJDFFJDFJSRJSJRS HYOPTHEISIS CORRECT

 **Futaba** : HE'S GOIN CRAZYYYYYY]

Ren couldn't help but giggle as he imagined that sight.

[ **Ren** : Pics or it didn't happen]

He was still giggling to himself as he closed the messaging app. Although, his laughter instantly stopped as soon as his eyes landed on the Metanav. Oh, right… He had forgotten about that… A stressed sigh left his mouth as he began thinking about it again. He kept telling himself that he should just ignore it and act as if it never happened. But there was a part of him just screaming that he needed to know. He had to investigate, even if just once. But, what if… Ren shook his head. All of these clashing thoughts were overwhelming. Would they all stop if he checked out?

He clicked on the Metanav.

It loaded up the palace information.

He groaned stressfully again. Surely, it wasn't a good idea to go into the metaverse by himself, but the idea of his friends knowing about his parents… It unsettled Ren. He was starting to get annoyed with his own indecisiveness. Just one quick exploration. That would be it. And then he could forget all of this crap. Ren took a deep breath to calm his nerves. And pressed the button.

"Beginning Navigation."

The scenery around Ren began to distort with the sensation that he had grown very accustomed to over the past year. He couldn't help but gulp nervously as he stood up. He had no idea what was waiting for him. Although, it wasn't the scenery that caught his attention.

It was his outfit.

It didn't change.

Ren couldn't decide if that made sense or not. It made sense because he was their son; why would they see their own son as a threat? But, at the same time, shadows generally tended to have their guards up very high. Now that he thought about it, he wouldn't be able to summon his persona if he didn't transform… But, it was just one quick look around. He wouldn't need to. As he pondered the potential meanings of this, he slowly walked over to the building. The tower was incredibly tall. He couldn't even see the top of it, due to it being hidden in the clouds. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears. He felt as if his lungs were about to pop. He clutched his phone tightly in his sweaty hand.

"Ren?"

He flinched at the sudden mention of his name. That couldn't be good.

"Your highness?!"

"What is the prince doing out here?!"

Ren cautiously turned around to see three very large shadows dressed as castle guards charging straight towards him.

'Time to go.' He thought as he sped towards the exit, suddenly regretting his decision.

"Your highness! Get back here!"

"Would you like to return to the real world?" The robotic voice of the Metanav slowly asked.

"Yes! Hurry up! Hurry up!" Ren pleaded as he continued running, the shadows gradually catching up to him. As the surroundings began to distort again, Ren breathed a sigh of relief.

But he celebrated too early.

A shadow grabbed his leg, causing him to fall flat on his face. His glasses smashed on the impact, thankfully not injuring Ren at all… And his phone flew out of his hand.

"No!" Ren screeched as he desperately fought against the three shadows, trying to reach his phone. He needed his phone to escape! He just needed to get to his phone! It was too late. His phone went back to reality. Without him. Ren's eyes widened when he realised what this meant. He was trapped in the palace. Amidst his panic, he formulated a plan:

He could find a safe room and hopefully contact Futaba through the weak distortions with Necronomicon.

With that in mind, he struggled with all his might to free himself from the shadows' grip.

"Really, your highness…" One of them tutted with an exasperated shake of its head.

"How on earth did you get out here?" Another asked, tightening it's hold on the feisty boy.

"You know how the king and queen feel about you leaving your tower." The third shadow reprimanded him as it called over reinforcements. Ren's breath hitched in his throat at that last statement.

'Your tower'?

Then that meant-

A dread filled grimace appeared on Ren's face as he began struggling even harder, clawing and kicking at the shadows as hard as he could.

"No! Let me go! Get off me!" He screamed, ignoring the stinging in his throat.

"Arsene!" He called out desperately. But his persona didn't appear.

"Come now, your highness! There's no need to act so childish!" Grunted one of the shadows.

"He's just scared because he's outside. Once he's back in his room, safe and sound, he'll be fine." One of the reinforcements stated nonchalantly as it helped the others drag Ren into the castle. Frightened tears filled Ren's eyes as he stretched his hand out towards the entrance of the palace.

"Somebody! Anybody! Please! Help!" He screamed one last plea despite knowing that no one would hear it as the castle door slammed shut behind them.

"Saaaaalutations, Ren! You think you can ignore me without repercussions?!" Announced Futaba as she stormed into the attic, holding Morgana above her head like a trophy. She froze when she saw the empty room.

"...Oh."

"Where is he?" Asked Morgana as he hopped onto the nearby desk.

"Hey, Sojiro? Did Ren go out somewhere?" Futaba called down the café.

"I haven't seen him come down, but he might've come down when I wasn't looking." The bearded man replied. Futaba hummed thoughtfully as she looked across the room, noticing Ren's phone on the floor. A grin spread across her face.

"Hellloooooo…." She snickered as she picked it up. Well, messing with his phone would be a fun way to pass the time, right? The first sight that greeted her after unlocking the phone was a large number of missed texts.

[ **Missed Texts from Futaba**

_16:21PM_

**Futaba** sent an image

 **Futaba** : Here you go, naysayer

 **Futaba** : Photographic evidence

_16:30PM_

**Futaba** : Hey

_16:45PM_

**Futaba** : I sent you Mona pics, respond bitch

_16:57PM_

**Futaba** : The consequences for ignoring me shall be immense, Joker…

**Missed Texts from Ann**

_16:31PM_

**Ann** : Was that social studies homework due in next Friday or the Friday after?

**Missed Texts from Ryuji**

_17:05PM_

**Ryuji** : Dude, you gotta read the new chapter of Moonlight Blade!!!!!

 **Ryuji** : Holy shit, it was insane!!!!

**Missed Texts from Goro**

_16:15PM_

**Goro** : Hey Ren, you left some of your textbooks at mine, do you wanna come pick them or should I drop them off at Leblanc?

_16:30PM_

**Goro** : Hello? Ren?

 **Goro** : Did your phone not give you the notifications again?

_16:48PM_

**Goro** : Ren, I need an answer, pretty sure I remember you saying that you had homework for some of these subjects

_17:00PM_

**Goro** : Ren, are you alright?

 **Goro** : You don't usually take this long to respond.

 **Goro** : Not to mention, I know you always have your phone on you.

_17:18PM_

**Goro** : Have I done something to offend you?

_17:30PM_

**Goro** : Have you been having nightmares about that again…?

_17:44PM_

**Goro** : Ren, if I've upset you, please tell me. I need to know what I can do to make things better.

_18:00PM_

**Goro** : I know I'm not going to be able to fix what happened

 **Goro** : Just…

 **Goro** : Please send me a simple message, let me know you're okay

 **Goro** : I'm getting a little worried…]

Reading through the texts made a worried lump form in Futaba's throat.

"Something doesn't seem right…" She muttered as she stared at Goro's texts, growing more frantic as time passed.

"Yeah… Ren only ever goes to the bathhouse without his phone and he's never there for longer than an hour…" Morgana added with a frown. Futaba hummed to herself as she exited the messenger app. However, her next discovery made her heart pound.

Ren, for some reason, had the Metanav open.

"What… the hell is this?" She asked as she stared at the information on the screen. 'Amamiya'?

"I've got a really bad feeling about this…" Muttered Morgana.

"Sh-Should we get everyone together…?" Futaba enquired, starting to grow anxious as she considered all of the possibilities.

"Yeah… I think he might need our help…" Morgana agreed. Futaba nodded stiffly, pulling out her own phone and opening the Thieves' group chat.

[ **Phantom Thieves**

_18:30PM_

**Oracle** : Guys, we have an emergency.

 **Oracle** : Can you meet us in Leblanc?]

"Your Majesties! We found the young prince outside the castle and brought him back to you!" The shadows announced as they dragged the panicked Ren into the throne room.

"Ren?!" A woman's voice exclaimed as the Queen rushed over to the teenager. She had pale skin that clashed with her glowing gold eyes. Her long, silky raven hair pulled back into a bun had a silver crown perched on top. She gracefully lifted her rose gold ballgown above her ankles as she jogged over to her son.

"What on earth were you thinking?! Going outside?! You were told to stay in your tower where it's safe!" She screeched frantically as she grabbed onto his shoulders and shook him. Ren's heart pounded as memories came flooding back.

"What happened to your cheek?!" A man's voice barked as the King ran over and inspected the graze on Ren's cheek. His chestnut haired was pushed back by his large golden crown. His pure white suit was covered by a large scarlet cape.

"U-Uh… Well, Your Majesty… His Highness tried to run away from us so we did have to use a little force and-" The shadow began to nervously explain what happened.

"So. You're telling me that you damaged my son?" The King demanded as he glared daggers into the trembling shadow. He slowly stepped towards them.

"I-I apologise, Your Majesty! We d-did try to bring him back unharmed, but he lost his footing!" The shadow stammered as the King walked menacingly towards them.

"So, you're trying to pin the blame onto my son?" The King growled, grabbing the shadow by the face.

"I-I'm sorry, Sir! Pl-Please! I won't-"

The shadow was silenced as the King crushed it's head with his bare hands, splattering it's blood all over his white clothes. Ren watched in horror as the gruesome scene unfolded in front of him. This was his father's heart? His mother pulled his face towards her.

"Now, now… No need to cry over that filth. Don't worry… You're safe now…" She cooed with a soothing voice that terrified Ren.

"N-No… No, let me go! I don't wanna be here! Let me out!" Ren protested, as he struggled against the Shadow's grasp on his wrists. He had to get out! He had to contact someone!

" _ **Sweetheart**_."

Ren froze at the sound of his mother's stern voice. Not that word… He could feel his entire body shivering as his mother cupped his cheeks and forced him to look at her. He couldn't see any emotion in her golden eyes, just crazed obsession. His breathing slowly started to grow erratic.

"I know that you wouldn't make mummy cry… The outside world is dangerous. You are going to stay in your tower where no one will ever hurt you. Now… You're going to be a good little boy and do as mummy says… aren't you?" She stated, every single syllable striking more and more fear into Ren. His eyes grew dull as he realised that struggling would be pointless.

"... Yes, mother…" He conceded defeat. His mother smiled contentedly as she pulled Ren into a hug.

"That's it… You're such a good boy, sweetheart…" She whispered into his ear, stroking his hair possessively. It felt as if a fog had descended over Ren's mind. He couldn't think.

"But, still… You know better than to disobey us in the first place. And where on earth did you get those scruffy clothes? Those disgusting 'friends' of yours?! We are getting you changed this instant, young man!" The King chastised his dazed son as he and his shadow bodyguards dragged him out of the throne room.

"So, what exactly did you need us for? Sounded pretty serious…" Asked Ryuji as the thieves piled into Leblanc's attic.

"Where's Ren-senpai?" Sumire enquired as she glanced around, searching for the Thieves' leader.

"That's what this meeting is about." Morgana informed them with a stern scowl.

"What do you mean?" Goro anxiously asked as his eyes fell on Ren's phone in Futaba's hand.

"Has something happened?" Makoto added, sensing the tense atmosphere from Morgana and Futaba. The orange haired girl displayed the Metanav information to the group.

"Yuri and Hinata Amamiya…?" Read Yusuke with a concerned frown.

"What the hell is this?" Ann asked as she tried to make sense of this information.

"We're not really sure why Ren had this info… But, we think Ren might have gotten himself stuck in this Palace." Futaba explained. A nervous silence fell over the group. No one knew how to react.

"We need to save him!" Ryuji eventually shrieked, jumping up to his feet urgently.

"Well, obviously!" Ann huffed.

"But, who exactly are these Yuri and Hinata?" Sumire asked, worried that they were jumping into the unknown.

"We looked them up; they're Ren parents." Morgana informed the group.

"Wh-Why would Ren's parents have a Palace?" Makoto pondered with a stressed frown.

"Now that I think about it… Ren's never spoken about his parents… at all…" Haru realised as she thought back.

"C'mon, guys! The hell're we waiting for?! Ren's stuck in there, right?! We gotta get him outta there!" Ryuji yelled, typing the Palace info into his own Metanav.

"But, it's the late evening and we've all been busy today… We won't have the energy to infiltrate the Palace and search for him. It would be far more practical to rest up tonight and infiltrate tomorrow." Yusuke reminded him, pulling him back down onto his seat.

"And there's another issue… The Palace's location is wherever Ren is, correct? But Ren is stuck in the Palace, so how the hell do we get in there?" Goro pointed out.

"Oh crap, that's right…" Ann muttered as she anxiously twirled her hair around her finger.

"It's fine, I already talked about that with Mona." Futaba spoke up to soothe everyone's nerves.

"Since Ren entered the Palace from the attic, he's still technically here. So, the attic counts as Ren's location. We can enter the Palace from here." The black cat explained. The group nodded thoughtfully.

"That's a relief…" Murmured Haru, placing her hand on her chest.

"If that's the case, I think we should research his parents tonight. We'll need to know more about them if we want the infiltration to be successful." Makoto suggested.

"I agree, I'll see if I can find anything in the database." Goro added.

"I'll check social media." Ryuji offered.

"And I'll scour through the internet and Ren's phone, see if I can find anything juicy." Futaba puffed as she picked Ren's phone back up and slipped it into her pocket.

"Sooooo…. Meeting adjourned?"

"Yeah, meet up here at noon tomorrow."

"There, that's much better, Ren." Hinata's Shadow chuckled as he patted Ren's head. Ren had been forced into a pristine, pure white prince outfit. The jacket was so tight it was suffocating, gold and scarlet buttons and tassels adorned the front. The white trousers blended with the ebony knee high boots. And Ren's hair had been combed back, exposing his forehead. The shadows helped Ren up the countless stairs as the raven haired teen's vision was blurred without his glasses. How the hell was he supposed to get out of this? Why did he have to make such a stupid decision? If he had just ignored his discovery, he would still be in the real world, safe and happy! He was so stupid!

"Don't worry, Ren… Daddy's right here. We'll always keep you safe and sound." The King assured him with a 'loving' smile. Ren hated how the Shadows spoke to him like he was still a young child; it made him feel sick.

"Now, you've had a long day… Get some rest, okay?" The shadow continued as the guards opened up the large doors at the top of the tower. Ren's chest pounded as he was gently shoved into the room. An acidic taste flooded his mouth as he recognised the interior. It was a lot fancier, but this was clearly his room back home. The layout, the furniture, the decorations, the curtains… It was identical to his bedroom. A cold sweat dripped down his chin as he took in his surroundings.

"Night night, Son. Sleep well." The King softly called out as he exited the room, signalling the guard's to shut the door behind him.

"Wait!" Screamed Ren as he rushed back over to the door. However, the sound of the lock clicking filled his ears. He desperately tugged on the doors, but to no avail. They wouldn't budge an inch.

"No… No, no, no, no! Please no! Let me out! I'm begging! I can't stay in here! Dad, please don't lock me in again! I can't-!" Ren begged as anxious tears began spilling down his face. He looked around the room for any other means of escape. His eyes immediately fell upon the window. He ran over and looked outside. All he could see was clouds. Just how high up was this tower?! Even if he could get the window open, he'd just fall to his death! It was hopeless! He couldn't escape at all! His knees gave out from underneath him as he accepted the cruel reality of his situation. He pulled his knees to his chest and curled up like a lost, scared child.

"Somebody… Please… Let me out…"


	2. Infiltration Start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I spent way too long studying flower language for this chapter... Honestly felt a little bit like a waste of time.

"Good morning, Sweetheart~! … Now, what on earth are you doing over there? You'll hurt your back if you sleep there, silly~!" The Queen Shadow giggled cheerfully as she entered the top of the tower. Ren was sprawled on the floor underneath the only window. He ended up crying himself to sleep after realising the helplessness of his situation. The sound of the shadow's voice made him feel sick as he glared up at her with exhausted eyes.

"Uh oh! Did someone wake up on the wrong side of the bed~?" The Queen continued in a babyish voice as she approached her son. "Is someone a little grumpy pants?"

Ren scowled as she pinched his cheek like he was still five years old before smacking her hand away.

_**"Sweetheart."** _

Ren flinched.

"That wasn't very nice. We raised you better than that. Now, say sorry."

Ren cursed under his breath as his body involuntarily began shaking.

".... -ry…"

"I can't hear you…"

"...I'm sorry, mother…"

The shadow's eyes gleamed happily as the life drained from Ren's. She pulled him into a tight hug and softly stroked his hair.

"You're forgiven, Sweetheart. Just don't. Do it. Again."

"... Yes, mother…"

The shadow giggled happily as she let go and walked back over to the large door.

"Mummy's got some important work to do, but she'll be back to check on you later~ Be good~" She sweetly waved at her son as the guards shut and locked the door behind her. Ren glanced down at his hand which was still trembling. He grimaced as he clenched his fist in a fruitless attempt to stop the shaking. There… really wasn't anything he could do to escape… was there?

"So, has anyone found anything?" Makoto enquired as the thieves sat down and began their meeting in Leblanc's attic.

"Nope… Barely anything on their social media… Just them bragging about how amazing their son is…" Huffed Ryuji, disappointed by his lack of results. Ann frowned in confusion.

"If they love their son so much, why doesn't Ren ever talk about them?" She muttered, trying to make sense of the available information.

"I didn't come up with anything either… Unless you consider his father's multiple speeding tickets valuable info… Which I don't." Goro added as he glanced around the group with tired eyes. It didn't feel right without Ren there.

"I suppose it might hold some value if there is some kind of highway in the palace… Although, it would indeed be a strange tower if it had a highway within it." Pondered Yusuke. Morgana didn't even dignify that idea with a response.

"I tried searching, but I couldn't find anything at all… I'm so sorry…" Haru uttered dejectedly.

"It's fine, Haru-senpai! I didn't find anything either…" Sumire reassured the fluffy haired girl.

"Welp, it's fine… I found plenty." Futaba announced with the most serious expression the rest of the group had ever seen on her face.

"Oh?"

"I'm… kinda nervous now…"

"Please share, Futaba."

"Well, first thing's first: I learnt that Ren's phone number has only been in use for a year. It was activated on Saturday, 2nd of March last year." Futaba declared as she pulled up all of the information she had collected on her laptop.

"Hang on… Ain't that-?" Ryuji spoke up with a baffled frown.

"A week before he came to Tokyo?" Ann finished his sentence.

"Yup."

Goro placed his hand on his chin as he tried to figure out why Ren would not only buy a phone, but get a new number as well when moving to Tokyo.

"So, I did some digging and found his old number." Futaba continued. "And I found some pretty interesting things…"

An anxious silence fell over the group as Futaba turned her laptop around to display some old text messages she had found.

**[Mum:** Ren where are you?

 **Mum:** It's five minutes after your curfew!

 **Mum:** Are you alright?

 **Mum:** Do you need me to come collect you?

 **Mum:** Do you need me to call the police?!

 **Mum:** Answer me, young man!

 **Ren:** Calm down, I'm just at the library...

 **Mum:** You shouldn't be!

 **Mum:** You should've been home five minutes ago!

 **Ren:** It's only quarter to five…

 **Mum:** It's already quarter to five!

 **Mum:** It's going to be dark soon!

 **Mum:** Come home now!

 **Ren:** I just need a few minutes…

 **Ren:** I need to give back the textbook on physics and borrow a textbook on geography

 **Ren:** The queue's really long

 **Ren:** It'll be three minutes tops

 **Ren:** I'll be back before five

 **Mum:** I'm coming to pick you up

 **Ren:** No mum I don't need to be picked up

 **Ren:** I can walk home

 **Ren:** It's literally a seven minute walk…

 **Mum:** No

 **Mum:** I'm driving over now

 **Mum:** I'll be waiting in the parking lot

 **Mum:** No objections

 **Mum:** Alright, sweetheart?

 **Ren:** ...Fine.]

**[Dad:** Ren

 **Dad:** Why aren't you home yet?

 **Ren:** I'm just helping a friend with their literature homework

 **Ren:** We're still at school, don't worry, I'm fine

 **Dad:** It's that disgusting Toma brat again, isn't it?!

 **Ren:** Dad…

 **Dad:** We told you to stop hanging around him!

 **Ren:** Dad, it's not Toma…

 **Ren:** And Toma isn't a bad guy…

 **Ren:** Stop it please

 **Dad:** He's horrible!

 **Dad:** He has terrible grades

 **Dad:** His parents' are rarely home

 **Dad:** He's always hanging around fast food places, I'll bet he never eats right

 **Dad:** He's a waste of space and you shouldn't waste your precious time on him!

 **Dad:** He'll only drag you down!

 **Ren:** I'm begging you to leave Toma alone…

 **Ren:** And like I said, it's not Toma

 **Dad:** Then who is it?

 **Ren:** It's not important

 **Ren:** Just a friend having trouble with literature

 **Ren:** I'm helping him with literature and he's helping me with math

 **Ren:** That's all.

 **Dad:** Who is it?

 **Dad:** I need to know

 **Dad:** As your father, I need to know the company you keep

 **Dad:** I won't let these degenerates drag you down to their level

 **Dad:** Do you understand me?

 **Dad:** Leave that scum and come home now

 **Ren:** I can't focus when you keep texting me…

 **Ren:** I'm turning my phone off now

 **Dad:** Don't you dare

 **Dad:** Ren, answer me now

 **Dad:** If you don't answer me right now, I am coming to the school and dragging you home myself.

 **Dad:** That's it

 **Dad:** I'm coming now.

 **Dad:** I am teaching you some manners when we get home

 **Dad:** Do you understand me?]

**[Ren:** Hey, Kei, I wasn't able to catch you at school so, do you know if the chemistry homework was due in Wednesday or Thursday?

 **Kei:** Wednesday.

 **Ren:** Are you okay?

 **Ren:** You've seemed kinda off all day…

 **Ren:** I'm here if you need someone to talk to

 **Kei:** I don't want to talk to you

 **Ren:** .

 **Ren:** What?

 **Ren:** Have I done something wrong?

 **Ren:** It felt like you were avoiding me at school…

 **Ren:** Have I done something to upset you?

 **Kei:** Oh crap, that came across as so rude…

 **Kei:** I didn't mean it like that

 **Ren:** Then why don't you want to talk to me?

 **Kei:** It's nothing, don't worry about it

 **Ren:** How can I not worry about it?

 **Ren:** What happened?

 **Ren:** Is it anything I can fix?

 **Kei:** Look, you don't need to worry about it

 **Kei:** Just let it go

 **Ren:** Can I at least get a reason why you don't want to talk to me anymore?

 **Kei:** .

 **Kei:** Fine…

 **Kei:** The truth is

 **Kei:** I got a call from your parents

 **Ren:** What?

 **Kei:** They told me to stay away from you

 **Ren:** Omfg are you serious?!

 **Ren:** Dude, I'm so sorry…

 **Kei:** It's fine, it's not your fault

 **Ren:** It is, though…

 **Ren:** If I hadn't left my phone unlocked, they never would have got your number, I'm so sorry…

 **Kei:** They go through your phone?

 **Ren:** Yeah, every time I forget to lock it…

 **Kei:** Well, anyway, they said to stop talking to you or else

 **Ren:** Or else what?

 **Kei:** .

 **Kei:** That's not important

 **Kei:** I don't wanna talk about it

 **Kei:** Just leave me alone

 **Kei:** Don't talk to me

 **Kei:** Please

 **Kei:** Bye

 **Ren:** Right…

 **Ren:** Yeah…

 **Ren:** Okay…

 **Ren:** I'm so sorry, man…

 **Ren:** I'm so, so sorry…]

"Holy shit…" was all Ryuji could say as he stared at the old messages.

"Yikes…" Sumire mumbled under her breath.

"They'd really go so far as to threaten a minor?" Yusuke asked in disbelief.

"Well… I think we know why Ren got himself a new number…" Makoto murmured with a nervous frown. Those messages honestly made her feel sick.

"And that explains why Ren never talks about his parents…" Haru added as she read through the messages again.

"This is probably why he's been so quiet lately…" Morgana uttered as the realisation hit him.

"He'll have to go home to this? ...No way in hell. I'm not letting that happen." Goro growled. The last thing he was going to do was let Ren go back to essentially living like a prisoner.

"Well, there's obviously only one choice…" Ann declared as she pushed herself up off her seat.

"Damn right, there is!" Ryuji agreed, copying Ann's actions.

"Hell yeah, we're gonna bust in there, save Ren and change his parents' hearts!" Futaba snickered as she slammed her laptop shut.

"Well then, shouldn't we get going?" Suggested Haru as she pulled out her axe with an… unnerving smile on her face.

"Yes! There's no time to waste! We've gotta get Senpai out of there as soon as possible!" Sumire agreed with a determined scowl, pulling her hair back into a ponytail.

"So. Who's gonna be the leader?" Yusuke enquired, remarkably calm as he glanced around the rest of the group.

"I vote for a joint effort from Makoto and Goro. Those two are the best at coming up with strategies." Morgana stated. The two brunettes glanced at each other and nodded.

"I'll happily do what I can."

"If you believe that's best, then I'll try my best."

"Well, alright then. Let's get going and save our Leader!"

"C'mon…" Ren muttered quietly under his breath as he continued fiddling with the large door's lock. Luckily, he had found some small tools that he could use as a lockpick and set himself to work as he heard the shadow's head downstairs for their patrol. It was taking a lot longer than he had anticipated. This was a ridiculously complicated lock… Just how badly did they want to keep him trapped in here? The raven haired boy clicked his tongue in irritation as the lock just kept going and going. His agitation was almost enough to make him give up, but his fear of staying locked up in this twisted world of his parents' hearts obliterated that agitation and made him keep trying.

Click!

Ren's eyes widened as he finally heard the sound he was waiting for. To make sure, he cautiously lifted his hand up to the door handle and pulled it. The handle twisted downward and let out another click.

"Yes!" Ren whispered a small celebration to himself and pumped his fist. He pulled the door open just a crack to scan the area for shadows. It was clear. Ren leapt at the opportunity and flung himself through the doorway and down the stairs. He was grateful that there were plenty of statues and little nooks and crannies that he would be able to hide in if shadows did make an appearance. All he had to do was find a safe room and contact Futaba then wait for backup so he could safely get out of the palace. Although… Why was he unable to summon his personas? Just as that thought crossed his mind, he heard armour clunking loudly. The onyx eyed boy quickly ducked behind a statue, peeking out at the passing shadows.

"Y'know… I sure am glad that His Highness is back…"

"Yeah? Me too… Their Majesties are less aggressive now he's safe in his tower again."

"Seriously… How many men did we lose to them while he was gone?"

"I lost count…"

That conversation made Ren's blood run cold. His parents' shadows murdered their servants just because they didn't have him? Just how fucked up were their desires? Why were they so…?! He was sick of this… So, so sick of this…! He had to get out of here! There had to be a safe room somewhere nearby… He waited until the shadows had disappeared around the corner before jumping out from behind the statue and sprinting down the gigantic spiral staircase. He kept scanning his eyes across the walls for any signs of a hazy door, which was difficult since his eyesight was already blurry without his glasses. As he ran, a familiar sensation washed over him. The cognition was weak… There was a safe room nearby! Ren squinted, desperate to find his ticket out of this nightmare.

There it was!

He found it! A weird, hazy effect rippling against the wall. Finally! He could get out of here! He sped up, almost tumbling down the steps as he rushed over to his salvation.

Until, his father appeared.

The King walked up the stairs, freezing at the sight of his son outside of his room. Ren froze as well, terrified of what could happen now that he'd been caught in the act. The King's stunned expression morphed into a scowl full of seething rage. Ren took an anxious step backwards at the sight. His heartbeat steadily increased as panic coursed through his veins. His father's shadow stomped furiously over to Ren with a burning anger in his glowing, golden eyes. Before Ren could even react, the shadow grabbed onto his wrist and yanked it upwards as hard as he could.

"Ow!"

"How ungrateful are you?! Why can't you do anything you're told?! It's those damn friends of yours, isn't it?! I always told you that they were bad influences but you refused to listen! Well, this is the last straw! You are going back to your room and you are never leaving it ever again! Do you understand me?!" The King screamed in smoldering fury, tightening his grasp on Ren's wrist with each syllable.

"That hurts…!" Whimpered Ren as he winced in pain.

"That won't work on me again! C'mon, shift your selfish little ass!" The King spat as he dragged Ren back up the stairs with his iron grip on the teenager's wrist.

"Let go…!"

"Shut. Up."

As the King stormed up the stairs, his frightened son being tugged along with him, some of the guards noticed.

"How the hell did His Highness get out?!"

"I don't know. You tell me, you incompetent iron bucket." The King snarled back.

"Your Majesty! The Prince has escaped his room! It seems like he picked the lock- Oh, you found him already…" Another guard reported as it rushed down from the top of the tower. The King's eye twitched at that news.

"You sneaky little shit…!" A growled rumbled against his throat as he roughly yanked Ren's wrist again, forcing the teen to catch up with him.

"That hurts…!" Ren repeated with a whimper.

"Do you really think I care after that stunt you pulled?!"

Ren desperately tried to think of a way to escape even as he could feel his bones being crushed. However, the fear and panic coursing through his veins has caused a thick fog to descend over his mind and he was unable to think of anything. Before he even knew it, they were back at the top of the tower. Ren's heart pounded uncomfortable against his chest. With one last spiteful yank, the King threw Ren onto the marble floor. The raven haired boy hissed in pain as his back collided with the stone cold floor. He gently cradled his aching wrist as he looked up at his father's shadow. Enraged golden eyes glared back.

"I am sick and tired of you disobeying every single one of our orders... It's about damn time I taught you some manners..."

"Holy shit!" Gasped Ryuji as the group entered the Palace.

"What?! Shadows already?!" Ann yelped in surprise, pulling out her whip in preparation for battle.

"No… Up there." Makoto murmured as she noticed what had caught his attention. The rest of the group followed her arm and looked up at where she was pointing. The tower that loomed ominously over the thieves.

"Oh… Holy shit…" Goro repeated Ryuji's words, understanding his reaction now.

"Well… I think we know where the treasure is gonna be." Remarked Morgana, crossing his paws against his chest.

"Just how tall is that thing?" Asked Sumire, anxious about the fact that they would have to climb it.

"No idea… My sensors aren't even able to scan through all of it… I can only see about half of it…" Futaba informed them as she read through all of the information gathered by her persona.

"Only half?!" Gasped Haru.

"What elegant architecture…"

"Not helpful, Fox."

"Wait… Holy crap, that is a lot of shadows in front of that entrance…" Ann muttered as she glanced over at the large door at the bottom of the castle's tower.

"I don't think we'd have been able to use that entrance anyway… Look at all those locks." Goro pointed out as he joined Ann in her look-out spot.

"Just how many locks do they need on one door?" Haru asked, worried about the potential meanings of those locks in regards to Ren's parents' psyches.

"Welp… Time to search for another way in…" Muttered Morgana as he stretched in preparation for their search.

"Hmm… There's a garden over there… Maybe we could start there?" Suggested Sumire, pointing over to a pure white, elegant gateway, covered in pink roses.

"Yeah, good call!" Ryuji instantly agreed, taking a step towards the garden. The moment his foot hit the floor, a strange crunch noise sounded out. The whole group looked down with baffled expressions. As he lifted his foot, they discovered a pair of glasses. A pair of… now smashed glasses… Or to be more specific, Ren's now smashed glasses.

"So, we were right… Ren is here…" Yusuke muttered with a troubled frown. He wasn't sure if he should be relieved or worried that they were right. Goro carefully picked them up, avoiding all the sharp shards of glass.

"This just proves it. We need to save Ren. Let's get moving already." He ordered as he began marching towards the garden. The rest of the thieves glanced at each other and nodded with determination before running after Goro.

"Right!"

The garden was gorgeous. The complete opposite of the castle. While the castle was ominous and oppressive, the garden was tranquil and soothing. All of the shadows seemed to be focusing their attention on the building, surrounding the perimeter and guarding it intently. But none of them seemed too concerned about the garden. The thick grass billowed gracefully in the breeze. The deep shade of green from the grass and the hedges beautifully complimented the midnight blue shade of the sky as the moon shone down. There were small, pure white gazebos scattered throughout the large area, providing places to rest for anyone walking through. Bright, beautiful flowers dazzled in the many bushes. It was like something out of a fairytale… There was just one thing that kept the oppressive tension from the castle. Large vines covered in thorns coated the garden, only leaving a few paths that would leave the group unscathed.

"This is like Sleeping Beauty…" Muttered Sumire.

"How so?" Asked Ann.

"When the Prince learns of Sleeping Beauty's location and how to break the curse, the witch covers the entire kingdom in a thorn fortress to keep him away. But, at the end of the day, he broke through and saved the princess." The red haired girl explained. She had a very throughout knowledge of fairytales, thanks to her persona's tutelage.

"Really? Because, if I remember correctly, in the original story-" Goro spoke up before quickly being cut off by Sumire.

"I've read the original, I know what happens. I don't want to talk about it."

"Fair enough, good call."

"A shame that something so beautiful is sullied by something so disgusting…" Yusuke lamented as he wondered how the garden would look without the thorns.

"Yeah… But, now's not the time for sightseeing. Let's find a way in and save Ren… Ready, everyone?" Makoto enquired as she ducked under the first thorned arch.

"Ready!"

"Oh! How lovely!" Haru gasped in delight as the thieves reached the central garden. This garden had the largest wide open space with a big white gazebo in the centre surrounded by bright, beautiful flowerbeds. The thorns circled the area but left the middle untouched.

"This place sure is beautiful… Almost can't believe that it's from some people's messed up heart…" Futaba remarked as she scanned the area.

"Well, I mean, it's beautiful if you forget about the vines of death all around it." Ryuji pointed out.

"... Okay, fair."

"Sorry, can we take a break? My legs are killing me…" Ann requested with an exhausted groan.

"Anything for you, Panther!" Morgana instantly agreed, rushing over to the gazebo.

"I must admit, it's rather nice being able to leisurely stroll through the palace instead of rushing from hiding place to hiding place." Yusuke chuckled with an amused smile.

'At least he's enjoying himself…' Goro thought as he sat himself down next to Ann.

"All of these flowers are so pretty… I wonder what they are…" Sumire pondered as she stared at all of the blossoms surrounding their rest area.

"Ooh! I know! That one's a Juniper, and that one's a Primrose, and that one's a Petunia, and-! Oh! Oh, I'm so sorry… I didn't mean to get excited like that…" Haru exclaimed before quickly quietening down again with a bashful blush.

"Nah, nah, it's cool! Keep going, it's cute when you get really passionate about somethin'! Plus, we learn somethin', it's a win-win! So, what's this one?" Ryuji encouraged her with his usual sunny grin before pointing to a flower. Haru flashed a thankful smile back at him as she looked at the flower in question.

"That is a Yellow Hyacinth."

"And this one?" Asked Futaba.

"Ooh! That's a Red Salvia!"

"Um… How about this one?" Makoto joined in as she poured herself a drink.

"That's called a Cinquefoil!"

"Hmmm… Okay, this is actually pretty interesting… These two?" Goro joined in, curiosity getting the better of him.

"That one on the left is a White Heather and the one on the right is a Scarlet Ipomoea."

"What about this thing?" Morgana chimed in.

"Oh! That's Aloe! You've probably heard of that one, Mona-chan!"

"This one looks rather intriguing, do you know it's name?" Asked Yusuke as he formed a finger frame around the flower in question.

"Um… If I remember correctly, that one is called a Begonia."

"Y'know, this is kinda fun…" Mumbled Futaba as she gently poked a nearby flower.

"Yeah… When we get Ren back, we gotta go to some kinda flower center together… And you can teach us even more about flowers, Noir!" Ryuji giggled.

"That sounds wonderful! I'm looking forward to it!" Haru giggled back.

"Well, if we want to go on this floral adventure, we need to find and save Ren first. So let's get going, shall we?" Goro huffed, acting as if he found this entire situation a waste of time.

"Yeah, right. Welp, my legs are rested so I'm ready to go!" Ann cheered as she bounced up onto her feet.

"Hell yeah! Let's gooomph!!" Ryuji announced before tripping and slamming face first into the stone floor.

"Are you okay, Senpai?!" Sumire gasped as she and Makoto knelt down to help Ryuji back onto his feet.

"Yeah! Yeah 'm fine! Just stubbed my toe on something and fell over…" Ryuji answered as blood began slowly dripping out of his nostril. Haru worriedly handed him a handkerchief for him to wipe his nose.

"Hold on… This slab is loose…" Yusuke remarked as he pointed out the detail he noticed. The rest of the group looked down. Sure enough, one of the slabs had shifted slightly.

Morgana and Goro knelt down and lifted the stone slab, uncovering a hole with some stairs leading downwards.

"Ooh! Secret passageway! Lemme take a look see!" Futaba snickered excitedly as she scanned the pathway. "It leads inside! It's the secret entrance we've been looking for!"

"Perfect! Way to go, Ryuji!" Ann cheered, smacking Ryuji on the back with a big grin. A surprised expression spread across Ryuji's face before quickly being replaced with a smug grin.

"Y-Yeah! I totally planned to do that! You're welcome, everyone!"

"... Don't ruin it."

"Right… I'm glad it I found it. And uh… Let's get moving!"

A stone slab in the basement floor of the castle shifted and a pair of red eyes peeked through. Not a single shadow was in sight.

"All clear." Makoto whispered as she shoved the slab upwards and climbed out of the passageway.

"What's with all the chains?" Futaba muttered as a shiver went down her spine.

"Maybe a dungeon? Kinda like Kamoshida's palace…" Suggested Ryuji as he glanced around the cells that surrounded them.

"That's not important right now. We need to find a stairway up into the main building." Goro huffed, shoving past the rest of the group and began his investigation.

"I mean, yeah, but c'mon Crow~ No need to be a bitch about it." Said Ann as she slung her arm around Goro's shoulders.

"Well, if you guys keep calling me a bitch, I might as well act like one." Goro shot back.

"Aww… Is someone a little crabby because they miss their boyfriend~?" Sumire joined in the teasing with a cheeky smirk. Goro's eyebrows knitted together as his cheeks flushed a light pink.

"I'm going ahead. Try to keep up." He spat, hiding his flustered expression from everyone.

"H-Hey! Slow down a bit!" Morgana protested as he tried to catch up.

"Hold on a moment… What was the name of Ren's friend from the texts Oracle found?" Yusuke enquired as he stopped in his tracks.

"Kei, if I remember correctly… Why?" Haru answered, turning to look at Yusuke with a curious tilt of her head.

"Because he's right here. A cognition of him at least."

The Thieves rushed over to see the boy in the jail cell. Sure enough, the nameplate had 'Kei Tachibana' etched into it. Inside the cell, there sat a teenage boy with scruffy hair and clothes that were falling apart and coated in dirt. His eyes looked dead as he huddled in the corner.

"Is this… really the dude? He looks kinda like a zombie…" Ryuji muttered as he stared down at the cognitive being.

"Don't forget that this is the rulers' cognition of him… And they didn't seem to think very highly of him in those texts we saw…" Makoto reminded him.

"It's definitely the same guy. Look." Futaba spoke up as she pulled up all the information she had gathered about this friend of Ren's. She displayed a photo she found. A photo from a middle school Sports Day. Ren had a cocky smirk as he rested one hand under his chin and struck a dramatic pose. Next to him was Kei, with smartly styled dark brown hair and deep purple eyes. He was winking cheekily as he mirrored Ren's dramatic pose and flashed some cheerful peace signs.

"They look so happy…" Sumire absent mindedly commented with a sweet smile.

"He must have been Ren's best friend…" Ann added with a conflicted expression. It was lovely seeing the two of them so happy together, but it was horrible knowing that Ren's parents ruined that. Ryuji knelt down so he was eye level with the cognition.

"Yo, dude, you okay?"

"..."

"Hellooooo?"

"..."

"Come on, we just wanna ask you something?"

"..."

"Can you even hear us?"

"..."

"Look, do you know where they're keeping Ren?"

"Don't talk to the prince."

'Kei' finally spoke up in a quiet and broken voice.

"What? Why not?"

"The punishment for daring to interact with him is death…"

"That's bullshit!"

"That's the law of this castle."

"Look. We know he's stuck in here and we wanna save him… You've gotta know where he is, right?"

"... Save him…?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't we? He's our friend!"

"... Friend…"

"Ugh, we're not getting anywhere with this… Let's just get moving already." Goro huffed, irritated by this waste of time.

"... The Prince's room is at the top of the tower. The King and Queen lock him there. The only entrance to the tower itself in the large doorway in the main hall's second floor." The cognitive being informed them.

"A-And how do we get to the main hall?"

"Keep walking straight thought the dungeon and then head right. The stairs are at the end of the farthest right corridor."

"Thank you so much!"

"... Save Ren from those monsters… Please…"

The Thieves were shocked to hear a cognitive being so against the ruler of the palace. But… This one. This version of Kei. He was different. He wasn't even like the cognitions from Kamoshida's palace. He didn't beg them to leave him alone. He wanted the rulers to fall.

"You don't even have to ask." Sumire assured him as the group ran off down the corridor, following the directions to their beloved leader.

"That's it! Up there!" Whispered Morgana as the group hid in the entrance to the main hall. They had to fight their way through hoards of shadows on their way there. The closer they got to the tower, the more shadows they encountered. This level of security was ridiculous…

"Dammit, more shadows!" Hissed Goro at the sight. One… two… three… four… Did they really need eight shadows guarding one door?!

"I'll snipe them from here. I should be able to take out two or three before they start coming over, then the rest of you take them out before they can call for backup." Yusuke stated as he reloaded his gun.

"Great plan. Thanks, Fox! Okay, everyone get ready…" Makoto thanked him before giving the order for everyone to take out their weapons.

"... Now!"

Yusuke fired the first shot.

A shadow fell to the ground before disappearing.

"The hell was that?!"

Yusuke fired the second shot.

A second shadow fell.

"Wha-?! Over there! Intruders!"

Yusuke fired the third shot.

A third shadow fell.

"Now, it's your turn." He said as the shadows charged towards them.

"We're outnumbered! Call for back-!"

"I don't think so." Goro chuckled menacingly as he rushed towards the shadow and sliced it in half.

Four down.

Ann swung her whip gracefully, capturing two of the shadows. She viciously pulled the whip to keep them stuck in place as Haru and Sumire sliced through them.

Six down.

"You filthy thieves! I'm-" The shadow's aggressive growl was cut off by Morgana firing his slingshot into it's face.

Seven down.

The final shadow whimpered in terror as Makoto slowly approached it, cracking her knuckles.

"W-Wait! I-I-I can give you money! You want some money?! I'll give you all the money I have! Please don't kill me!"

Makoto didn't even respond. The brunette simply rammed her fist through the shadow's chest, killing it instantly.

"Great work, team! The coast is clear!" Morgana cheered as his tail happily swished from side to side.

"Here we come, Ren!" Ann giggled as they jogged up the stairs.

"Oh, son of a bitch… I should've known this wouldn't be easy…" Goro huffed as he examined the door.

"What's up?" Asked Ryuji. The door was locked… with four separate locks. Each required their own key.

"What do these symbols mean?" Asked Yusuke as he stared at the engravings next to the locks.

"Hold up…" Futaba muttered under her breath as she analysed the palace.

"Um… Wouldn't this be better to do in that safe room over there?" Sumire enquired as she awkwardly pointed at the safe room on the other side of the room.

"Probably…" Futaba replied, completely absorbed in her analysis. Everyone stared at her in disbelief before rolling their eyes. Makoto very casually picked up the orange haired girl and carried her over to the safe room. Futaba didn't even flinch.

"Okay, so what I've discovered is- How on earth did I get here?" Futaba spoke up before looked around in bewilderment.

"Not important. What'd you find?" Asked Morgana.

"R-Right… So, I scanned the tower and I can definitely pick up Ren's signal. It's just… It's really, really weak and I can pick any of his personas… Not even Arsene…" Futaba announced. Goro grimaced and clenched his fist at that information. Why was the signal weak? Was Ren hurt?! Did the shadows do something to do?! As Goro's thoughts began to spiral, Sumire placed her hand on his shoulder.

"He'll be okay… It's Ren-senpai we're talking about, after all!" She reassured him with her usual sweet smile. Goro couldn't help but smile back.

"Yeah… Yeah, you're right."

"And did you learn anything about the locks?" Enquired Haru as she took a sip of her iced tea.

"Yep! So, we need four keys! There's one in each wing of the castle, so we'll have to do a lap of the whole place… But, it's okay! I found an optimal route! We'll go North, the key is in the kitchen, East, the ballroom, South, the gallery, and then West, the Throne Room. I think it's best that we leave the Throne Room 'till last since there's no knowing if the rulers of the palace are gonna be there." The hacker laid out her plan to the group.

"Yeah, that's wise… Great job, Futaba." Makoto spoke up as she glanced over the route Futaba had set out.

"Then, let's get moving. The sooner we get those keys, the sooner we can save Ren." Goro insisted as he rushed over to the door.

"Normally I'd tell you to calm down… But, you're right. Ren's in trouble and he needs our help." Yusuke remarked as he pushed himself off the wall and readied his katana.

"Hell yeah!"

"Right! Let's get going!"

As the Thieves piled out of the safe room, Goro discovered something in his pocket. The black queen chess piece Ren gave him months ago. He lifted it up to his chest and clenched it tightly in his fist as a determined glare engulfed his face.

"Hold on, Ren. We're coming."


End file.
